When Tito Loved Clara by Jon Michaud

Growing up in Manhattan, Clara had a tough time. Having been brought to New York from the Dominican Republic and her grandparents farm, it was a difficult adjustment. But, with hard work and determination, Clara was able to escape from her chaotic home life. She went to college, became a librarian, and is now making a quiet life with her husband and young son. She’s worked hard at putting her past behind her, and she’d like to keep it that way.

Clara’s grip on her well-ordered quiet life becomes tenuous though, when her pregnant 16 year-old niece moves in , and threatens to upset the balance. Not only that, but Clara’s unemployed husband is increasingly distant, and they aren’t making much headway into their fertility issues.

Enter Tito, the boyfriend from Clara’s senior year of high school. Tito loved Clara back then, and even though he’s a grown man in his 30’s, he still lives at home with his parents, and he can’t seem to make a relationship with a woman work out. He’s always trying to recapture the feelings he had with Clara. That is, until one day, when they were 18, she just disappears. Now, he’s found her again.

A very well spun story, told from differing viewpoints, and with a cast of lovable but very flawed characters.